Young Love
by DramaticSheep
Summary: Hugo is in a fluster! can Ron and Hermione help him? Feedback appreciated! ONESHOT


Christmas couldn't come soon enough that year. The weeks since September 1st had dragged on so slowly, it became near impossible to bear, now with both of her children away at school, but at least she had Ron.

Hermione hurried with the Christmas decorations, trying to get them up as quickly as possible; she wanted the place decorated for when the kids came home for the holidays, which was today. She'd be leaving shortly to collect them from King's cross station, by herself, as Ron was working extra shifts as Weasley's Wizards Wheezes – which was thriving with business in the countdown to Christmas.

Once she'd finished the decorations she sat down at her kitchen table for a cup of tea. She laughed silently to herself as she gazed around her very muggle-like kitchen. Gone were the days when she pondered over which book to spend her galleons on, or in Ron's case, which Zonko's product he could squander his pocket money on. No, now it was; 'That shelving unit would work quite a treat in our study.' It was hard to believe that they were grown up now, happily married with two beautiful children. She gazed at her watch and saw that it was time to leave.

She left the house and climbed into the car that she and Ron both shared, though it was free for her to use as Ron apparated to work. She drove to King's cross station and fought long and hard for a parking space. Please with herself, she got out and went to join the other parents who were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Hogwarts Express. She gazed among the crowd and spotted Ginny, and walked over to her.

"Hermione! Oh it's nearly time! They'll be here any minute!" She squealed.

"I know." She replied. "It's so odd living in the house with no kids around anymore."

"Yeah, I was completed heartbroken to see our Lily off this year, but I suppose, Teddy always comes round, and he's like a son." Hermione nodded, noticing a familiar man with white blonde hair strutting towards them.

"Granger." He muttered. "Weasel."

"Malfoy." Hermione shot back. "And I think you mean Weasley and Potter, don't you?" Draco didn't reply, but held a smug look on his face.

"I dare say did you hear that my Scorpius beat your lot in the latest quidditch match?" He gloated. Hermione rolled here eyes. Malfoy's son played the position of seeker for Slytherin house, and her daughter Rose played one of the Chasers for Gryffindor, and her nephew James – Ginnys eldest son played Keeper.

"Actually yes, we did." Ginny replied. "There's a first time for everything though isn't there?" She finished, winking. Draco scowled.

"Was there something you wanted, Draco?" Hermione asked sweetly.

"No." He muttered, walking off.

Soon after their confrontation with Malfoy, Hogwarts students began running out of the wall between platforms nine and ten.

"Right, keep your eyes peeled." Ginny said, attempting to spot her lot from the masses of students.

"Mum!" was all Hermione heard before she was engulfed by a huge hug.

"Rosie!" She replied. "Welcome home! How are you? Where's your brother?" She asked.

"Oh I suppose he's back there somewhere. He wouldn't sit near me on the train you know, sitting with your sister is apparently 'so not cool' these days!" She broke off into a fit of giggles.

"How's he been, has be behaved himself?" asked Hermione, knowing all too well that her little boy was a mischievous trouble maker, just like his father, but she loved him all the same.

"Oh, he's been okay, I guess.." She trailed off. "Oh, hello aunt Ginny!" She changed the subject.

Hermione looked back at the crowd and saw her eleven year old son walking toward her, though he looked different, his usual mischievous grin was vacant from his face, and he didn't smile as he walked into the presence of his mother and aunt.

"Welcome home sweetie," she said. "Were you saying goodbye to your friends?" she asked.

"No." He muttered, frowning as she pulled him into an embrace.

"How was school?" she said. Hugo shrugged.

"Fine." He mumbled.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine, where's dad?" He asked.

"At work." Hermione said plainly, shooting a confused glance over at Rose who's face expression read;

_I'll tell you later._

Hermione sighed and let it go. She turned to face Ginny.

"Ginny I've got dinner in the oven, do you mind if I get these two home?" she asked.

"Of course not!" She replied. "Be at yours at two on Christmas day, right?" Hermione nodded.

"Bye!" Rose said to Ginny before following her mum and her brother out to the car. The drive home was solemn, Hermione didn't like it. She couldn't wait to get Rose on her won to ask her what was bothering Hugo. This task proved not to be difficult for as soon as they got home, Hugo race upstairs to his bedroom slamming the door behind him. The two girls stared up the stairs after him.

"Let's get some tea." Hermione said at once, and Rose follows her into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Hermione filled the kettle and then sat down opposite her daughter.

"What on earth." She began. "Is wrong with him?" she asked. Rose sighed and examined the table cloth.

"It's the most pathetic thing ever." She said.

"What?" Hermione asked/

"He likes this girl." Rose said, Hermione's eyes widened with surprise and curiosity. "They're in the same year obviously, and she's a Gryffindor." Rose continued. Hermione nodded.

"But he gets all shy and you know how clumsy he is, and, well, James and Albus have been giving him a hard time about it." She finished.

"They've WHAT?" Hermione exclaimed.

"I know! They're complete gits! Anyway, I tired talking to him about it, but he didn't want to hear anything I had to say. So I though it best to just leave him be." Hermione sighed.

"He better not be miserable all Christmas." She said.

When Ron returned home later that night, excited to see his children, he was taken aback when Hugo seemed a little less then enthusiastic. Hermione gave him the same look that Rose had given her earlier;

_I'll tell you later._

Hugo stormed off to bed after dinner, leaving the other three sat in the kitchen at a loss for words.

"So Rosie – tell me more about this quidditch match." Ron said, eager to start up the conversation again.

"Oh, God." She sighed. "Well the weather was foul as you know. Initially we were winning! I think we were up by forty points, yes, that's right, it was eighty forty to us." She explained. "But Damien, you know, our new seeker – he got his in the head by a bludger. So all Scorpius had to do was look for the snitch, he didn't even have to worry about us finding it first because our seeker was out of it!"

"Slimey git!" Ron interrupted.

"Ron!" Hermione whined.

"But yeah, he caught it. He was so chuffed with himself. He's been basking in his glory ever since!" She said. Ron snorted with laughter.

"Typical Malfoy!" He said. Rose stifled a yawn behind her hand.

"Well, I think I'll go to bed," she announced. "Goodnight!"

"Night, love – we'll be up in a minute." Hermione called after her. They washed the dishes together and then retreated to bed.

"Our little boy is in love." Hermione said as she settled into bed beside Ron, who now looked confused.

"Why's he so miserable then?" he asked. Hermione shot him a sly smile.

"Because he inherited your clumsiness genes, and he's really shy around her."

"Who is this 'her'?" he asked. "And I am not clumsy!" He added. Hermione ignored his last remark.

"You know I didn't think to ask? How silly of me!" Ron sighed and shook his head.

"Young love. It's just mental!" he said. Hermione snuggled up close to his body.

"Yup." She replied, sleepily.

Christmas day had sprung upon them. Usually it was Hugo who'd wake them all up at the crack of dawn, but this year, he didn't. Ron and Hermione had grown used to the fact that they never got to sleep past six AM on Christmas morning, and took it as quite a shock when they woke up at nine AM this year.

Shortly after they'd opened presents, Hermione began preparing the dinner, helped by Rose. Ron walked in on the two who were hastily peeling vegetables.

"I don't get why you just don't use magic." He said.

"Just because we're of age doesn't mean that we should whip our wands out for everything!" She said, in the tone of Mrs. Weasley. Ron laughed awkwardly, he hated it when she quoted his mother, it was downright scary.

"Besides," said Hermione. "It's much more fun this way."

"If you say so." Ron quipped, and walked out of the kitchen.

They were joined at two PM by Harry, Ginny, James, Albus, Lily and Teddy. They exchanged gifts and Ginny helped Hermione to finish off the dinner whilst Rose and Lily set the table, then all four Weasley's, all five Potter's and Teddy sat down to eat. The room was filled with voices as they all shared Christmas crackers. James and Albus whispered amongst themselves as James screwed up his napkin and threw it at Hugo who was sitting opposite them. It hit him in the face, which filled with anger, he looked as though he were about to burst.

"Ooh! Hugo is in lo-oo-oo-ve!" James joked loudly, so that everyone could hear. Hugo scowled and jumped up from his seat, lunging the broomstick from his cracker at James's head.

".GITS!" He bellowed, before storming out of the room. The room fell silent and everyone stared at James who was now rubbing his head where the toy broomstick had hit him.

"Bloody Hell! Can he not learn how to take a joke?" He complained.

"Watch your mouth, kiddo." Ginny said.

"Why'd you have to wind him up, James?" Harry said, shaking his head.

"It wasn't just me, it was Al too!"

Harry continued to shake his head.

"What am I going to do with you two."

Lily and Rose rolled their eyes in unison and tutted.

"Boys!" they muttered. Ron and Hermione got up from the table.

"Er, we better go and see to him." Hermione said. "Dig in, though." She told them before they left the room and climbed the stairs. Warily they pushed open the door to Hugo's bedroom. Christmas presents where scattered across the floor and Hugo was lying down upon his bed, facing the wall.

"Go away!" he muttered. Not offering them a glance.

"Nope." Ron said, as Hermione tiptoed over the presents and sat down at the end of his bed.

"Hugo Arthur Weasley!" She said firmly. "Your behaviour downstairs was appalling! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"They're complete gits." He muttered, sitting up. Ron laughed.

"That's my boy." He said quietly, but when Hermione shot him a look that could kill, his laughter ceased immediately.

"Hugo, I know you're having trouble with this girl, but don't you think you're taking things too far?" She asked, shifting around to get more comfy.

"What would YOU know about it?" He asked.

"Actually," Ron interrupted. "Quite a bit."

He moved over to the bed and knelt down beside it.

"Things didn't always go right as rain for your mum and I did they, 'Mione?" He asked.

"Definitely not." She replied.

"What happened?" Hugo asked.

"Oh, lots of stuff. I offended her in our first year, she ran off crying, remember that?"

"Only too well."

"And then Uncle Harry and I locked a troll in the bathroom with her."

"No way!" Hugo shouted.

"By accident of course!" Ron added.

"And then you blamed Crookshanks for supposedly killing your rat and you didn't speak to me for weeks."

"And then you went out with _Vicky_"

"And then you went out with Lavender"

"And then you sent canaries at my head .. Oh and you took that McLaggen guy to Slughorn's party!"

"And then you walked out on us when we were helping Harry."

"And then you beat the hell out of me when I came back!"

Hugo was silent, his head flicked back and forth between his mother and father with each retort, as though he was watching a tennis match.

"You two have issues." He grumbled. His parents burst into laughter, then slowly gained control of themselves.

"But you see," Hermione said, holding up her left hand, revealing her engagement and wedding rings. "It all worked out in the end."

"I can't believe you! One term at Hogwarts and you're already head over heels in love!" Ron exclaimed.

"How do I even talk to her?" Hugo asked.

"Oh, you know, compliment her, you know and.. " He paused, straining to remember the advice written in that book he had owned when he was seventeen.

"Oh you're honestly not going to let him follow advice from that stupid book of yours, are you?" Hermione said, Ron's mouth dropped open.

"How – how'd you know about that?" He stuttered. Hermione giggled.

"Oh come on, it was a little obvious! You go from having the emotional range of a teaspoon to harbouring a big bag of emotions?" She joked. "But don't worry, I still love you all the same." She finished, turning back to Hugo.

"And you,2 She began. "Just be yourself. She'll see you for who you are and fall madly in love. But please." She begged. "Don't be making any marriage proposals any time soon. You're only eleven and I daresay I'm far too young to be a grandmother." She winked.

Hugo giggled.

"I won't" He said.

"Now, will you please come down for dinner?" She asked.

"That," Ron said. "Sounds like a brilliant plan."


End file.
